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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: date · saw · cap · bore · pop · firm · mouse · fan

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. firm — a company
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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