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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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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: can · ball · bore · fine · date · shower · saw · dip

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bore — to tire
  6. shower — rain
  7. fine — all right
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — to drill
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. shower — to wash
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. dip — to sink
  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