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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pop — soda
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — of water
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spring — the season
  14. pop — to visit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — a permit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — a coil

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