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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · net · toast · coach · date · spell · fork · scale

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — in music
  3. toast — bread
  4. spell — magic
  5. date — the fruit
  6. net — in sport
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. spell — letters
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bore — to drill
  20. spell — a short time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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