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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — a company
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. firm — decided
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fine — all right
  12. last — final
  13. bore — to tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rest — a break
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — to drill
  21. perch — the fish
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — in music
  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