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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pit — in a race
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — a friend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. date — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — help

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