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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — the fish
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — low music

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