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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. date — the fruit
  3. capital — money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. firm — steady
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — for a lock
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. capital — a city
  20. firm — decided
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. band — a rubber band

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