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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: race · chip · rush · spring · cabinet · mate · court · date

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — of a king
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. court — of law
  14. race — humankind
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — a coil
  18. court — for sport
  19. spring — of water
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — for betting
  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