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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. date — the fruit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — a gift
  8. bass — low music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. shower — to wash
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. charge — in control

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