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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. ball — a dance
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. craft — boats
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. march — music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ball — a great time
  13. craft — a skill
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. toast — bread
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wax — to grow
  24. calf — a young animal

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