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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — for sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — of a king
  12. bore — to tire
  13. court — of law
  14. spell — letters
  15. object — a thing
  16. spell — magic
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — for catching
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. object — to protest

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