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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: court · bark · deal · toast · pass · date · present · wax

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bark — to shout
  6. present — the time now
  7. court — of a king
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. present — there
  16. court — of law
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — bread
  20. pass — a permit
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. present — a gift
  24. court — for sport

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