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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. cue — a hint
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. date — the fruit
  8. scale — in music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. track — a song
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cue — for pool

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