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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. date — the fruit
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ground — the earth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. file — a tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ground — a position
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. file — a document
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. date — on the calendar

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