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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. date — the fruit
  5. roll — a list
  6. rash — a series
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — the animal

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