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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: cap · date · rest · chip · prune · firm · bay · content

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cap — a lid
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — the amount
  14. rest — a break
  15. cap — of ice
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. content — happy
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. firm — decided

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