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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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. march — music
  4. date — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. staff — a stick
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — of a king
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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