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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. charge — a price
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. charge — in control
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pound — for dogs

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