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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. perch — the fish
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. date — the fruit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. roll — a list
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. club — for golf
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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