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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. court — for sport
  6. tear — from crying
  7. date — the fruit
  8. court — of law
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fork — in a road
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — a hat

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