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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pit — in a race
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a hole
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cue — a hint
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cue — for pool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — a monarch

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