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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. mate — a friend
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. can — a tin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mark — a grade
  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