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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
468
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: ruler · pop · date · deal · tube · mine · cap · present

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pop — soda
  3. present — there
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cap — a hat
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — the time now
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cap — a lid
  18. present — a gift
  19. tube — the underground
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — to handle

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