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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — to crush
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. spell — magic
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spell — a short time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — a position
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spell — letters
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bowl — a dish

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