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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — in music
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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