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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — a permit
  3. date — the fruit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. object — a thing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — to protest
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — army training
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. drill — a practice
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. object — an aim
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. content — videos and posts

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