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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mark — a grade
  9. toast — bread
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tube — a container
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tube — in a tire

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