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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 · fall · spring · foot · key · chip · club · leaves

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. club — for golf
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. club — a group
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fall — the season
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chip — to eat

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