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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. scale — in music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — letters
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — for pool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bore — to tire
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — magic
  23. bore — to drill
  24. scale — size or range

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