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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ball — a great time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. staff — a stick
  12. present — there
  13. ball — a dance
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. foot — a measure

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