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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 · spell · deal · bay · mouse · march · rest · jam

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — what's left
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. march — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. march — the month
  24. mouse — the animal

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