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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bass — low music
  5. chest — a box
  6. perch — the fish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bass — the fish
  12. capital — a city
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chest — of your body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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