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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — after costs
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — a short time
  9. net — for catching
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. net — in sport
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer

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