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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chair — a leader
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mouse — the animal

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