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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mug — a cup
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — to rob
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ball — a great time
  10. roll — a list
  11. squash — the sport
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — a face
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. date — the fruit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — to go away

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