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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. squash — the sport
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. key — in music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. land — a country
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. land — to come down
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — letters
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — magic
  17. date — the fruit
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rash — a series
  24. land — ground

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