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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 · spell · land · pop · board · cap · rush · craft

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. board — a committee
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pop — to visit
  10. land — to come down
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. cap — of ice
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. board — to get on
  20. craft — boats
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spell — magic
  23. cap — a lid
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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