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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: chip · dip · date · foot · stick · cap · safe · prune

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. date — the fruit
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cap — a lid
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — to eat
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cap — of ice

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