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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — a skill
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. court — for sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. court — of law
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — of a king
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. roll — a cake

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