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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: date · rule · wound · craft · ground · rock · game · toast

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. date — the fruit
  3. toast — bread
  4. rule — government
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. game — wild animals
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rule — a law
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. craft — boats
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rock — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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