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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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. band — a ring
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. band — a music group
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ground — a position
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stand — to bear

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