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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · can · firm · date · mate · rash · bark · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — steady
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. date — the fruit
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mate — a partner
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mate — a friend
  19. firm — decided
  20. rash — a series
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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