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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. date — the fruit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spring — of water
  5. ball — a dance
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — to sink
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — wild animals
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. spring — a coil
  19. game — a match
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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