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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hand · cabinet · date · cell · current · leaves · pit · squash

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — happening now
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — help
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — to crush
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cell — a phone
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. date — on the calendar

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