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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. march — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — a grade
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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