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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a face
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fine — high quality
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — a cup
  18. date — the fruit
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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