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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. court — of a king
  12. can — to be able to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. court — for sport
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — size or range
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — in 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