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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. charge — electricity
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — the fruit
  5. present — there
  6. track — a path
  7. charge — in control
  8. present — a gift
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mark — a trace
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mark — a grade
  22. track — to keep track
  23. present — the time now
  24. date — on the calendar

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