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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stock — shares
  3. band — a ring
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — goods
  12. face — to confront
  13. band — a music group
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — to visit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. face — to point toward
  22. date — the fruit
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — to cool the air

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