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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lie — to recline
  18. perch — the fish

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