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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kid — to tease
  7. track — a path
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — child
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — a sick person

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