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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. track — a song
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. track — a path
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mine — an explosive

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