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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — in music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a great time
  15. plane — a tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. scale — size or range
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mate — a partner

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