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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — magic
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. tube — a container
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wind — moving air
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wind — moving air

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