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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. current — electric
  4. court — of law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — shares
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. object — a thing
  10. stock — goods
  11. bark — to shout
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — an aim
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. object — to protest
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — happening now
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. current — of water

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