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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cold — not warm
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — an aim
  9. capital — a city
  10. object — a thing
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pop — soda
  19. object — to protest
  20. bound — certain
  21. capital — money
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cold — an illness
  24. capital — a big letter

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