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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — to breed
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — low music
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — a line
  24. ruler — a monarch

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