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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. date — the fruit
  6. season — in sport
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ball — a dance
  12. club — for dancing
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. spell — letters
  16. season — of the year
  17. roll — a cake
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. prune — to trim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. mug — a face

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