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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — temperature
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a song
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bulb — of a plant

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