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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. march — music
  5. charge — in control
  6. scale — size or range
  7. face — to confront
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. foot — a measure
  15. charge — a price
  16. march — the month
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cue — a hint
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. scale — in music
  24. face — part of the head

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