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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — wild animals
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. game — a match
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — the fruit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. toast — bread
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. foot — a measure
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mine — for digging
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mouse — 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