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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. track — a song
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spell — magic
  11. bass — the fish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bass — low music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — the instrument

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