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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tube — a container
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fall — the season
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fall — to drop
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com