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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — magic
  6. firm — decided
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mate — a partner
  13. court — of law
  14. field — for sport
  15. date — the fruit
  16. field — a subject
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — steady
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — a company
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a friend

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