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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pop — to visit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fine — all right
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. ball — a great time
  14. craft — a skill
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pop — soda
  19. fine — high quality
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to confront
  24. craft — a handicraft

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