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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 · roll · mine · row · suit · rock · content · mug

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — to rob
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. row — a line
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. content — the amount
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rock — a stone
  12. roll — a list
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rock — music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. content — happy
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. suit — clothes
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mug — a face
  23. roll — a cake
  24. row — to paddle

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