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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — to rob
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — temperature
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — the fruit
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mug — a face
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lie — to recline
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. march — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — belonging to me

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