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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. spring — of water
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. spell — magic
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spring — the season
  19. pit — in a race
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — for dogs

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