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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pop — soda
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. date — the fruit
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. object — an aim

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