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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wax — to grow
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — the fish

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