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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cue — a hint
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rule — a law
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a signal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cue — for pool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — government

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