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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a path
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. date — the fruit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — in sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — of a river
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — of the year
  22. mark — a grade
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — to pay attention

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