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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: mate · bound · scale · date · spring · cap · foot · pop

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pop — soda
  4. scale — in music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spring — the season
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — of water
  12. bound — certain
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pop — to visit
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pop — music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. date — the fruit
  24. foot — a measure

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