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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. game — a match
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bass — low music

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