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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. drill — a practice
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. drill — army training
  22. date — the fruit
  23. spell — a short time
  24. drill — the tool

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