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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — the earth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pound — a weight
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ground — a position
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. key — in music
  14. pass — a permit
  15. game — wild animals
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — the most important part
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. game — a match

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