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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chair — a leader
  7. spell — a short time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — a division
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spell — letters
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — a skill
  19. scale — size or range
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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