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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — a short time
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — to breed
  14. land — ground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — certain
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. land — to come down
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — letters
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

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