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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. band — a music group
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — in control
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a ring
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. date — the fruit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — a gift
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a list
  15. mark — a grade
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — a trace
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. present — there
  24. roll — a cake

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