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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 · spring · bear · deal · spell · bass · rest · pit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. spell — letters
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pit — a hole
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spell — magic
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — the season
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bear — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — to put up with

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