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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. last — to go on
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ground — a position
  18. suit — in cards
  19. scale — in music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ground — crushed
  24. last — final

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