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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bound — obliged
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bound — tied together
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. band — a music group
  18. date — the fruit

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