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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: toast · band · sharp · lean · prune · date · club · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. toast — bread
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. band — a music group
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. toast — the most admired

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