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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a dance
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mark — a trace
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitch — completely
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mark — a grade
  21. roll — a list
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitch — a sports field

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