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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cue — a signal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — the time now
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. present — there
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cue — a hint
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rest — a break
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — a gift
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cue — for pool

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