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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. firm — steady
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rock — music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a great time
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rock — a stone

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