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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. race — the arms race
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. race — a contest
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. land — to come down
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. roll — a list
  22. race — humankind
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. roll — on a roll

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