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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. track — a path
  5. fine — all right
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. court — of a king
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. court — of law
  21. rock — a stone
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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