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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rash — a series
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stock — shares
  15. mate — a partner
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. scale — in music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. scale — size or range

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