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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: mouse · fine · pop · lean · present · date · kid · game

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — a gift
  9. kid — child
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pop — soda
  19. game — a match
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — music
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. kid — to tease
  24. present — the time now

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