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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — ground
  4. band — a ring
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pop — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pop — soda
  12. club — a group
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — a country
  20. club — for golf
  21. land — to come down
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — a measure
  24. band — a music group

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