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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mark — a trace
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — a short time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — shares
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chest — a box
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stock — goods
  18. chest — of your body
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spell — letters
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chest — of your body

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