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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cap — a hat
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — letters
  18. cap — a lid
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — magic
  24. march — music

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