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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. march — the month
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — of water
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rest — a break
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pit — a hole
  16. march — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — to hurry

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