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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. date — the fruit
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — bread
  9. club — for golf
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — money
  13. track — a song
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. club — a group
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. capital — a city
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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