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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — letters
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bark — of a tree

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