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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. present — the time now
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — for catching
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pound — a weight
  13. net — after costs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. march — music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. present — a gift
  20. spell — magic
  21. bound — obliged
  22. net — in sport
  23. present — there
  24. bound — tied together

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