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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. track — a path
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — a song
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — the fish

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