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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. key — for a lock
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. key — the most important part
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — the underground
  13. key — in music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fine — all right
  19. swing — music
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — to play on
  24. racket — for tennis

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