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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stock — goods
  3. band — a music group
  4. roll — a list
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — music
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fine — all right

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