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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. date — the fruit
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. clip — a video
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fine — all right
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. toast — bread
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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