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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pop — to visit
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. suit — clothes
  13. file — a tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — army training
  16. present — the time now
  17. file — a line of people
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. drill — the tool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. file — a document
  22. drill — a practice
  23. suit — in cards
  24. present — there

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