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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. row — a line
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. roll — a list
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. date — the fruit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — to paddle
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — goods
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stock — shares
  23. roll — a cake
  24. coach — a trainer

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