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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. court — of law
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. date — the fruit
  8. spell — letters
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a great time
  13. court — for sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spell — magic
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pop — to visit
  24. court — of a king

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