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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. object — an aim
  9. craft — boats
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. date — the fruit
  17. capital — money
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. tube — the underground
  24. prune — to trim

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