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

Word bank: ball · date · snap · chair · pit · object · file · cabinet

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — in a race
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chair — a leader
  9. date — the fruit
  10. object — an aim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. object — to protest
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a document
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. snap — to click

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