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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — a cup
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ball — a dance
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — a face
  17. rash — hasty
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — to rob
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — a series

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