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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a ring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. game — a match
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. face — to point toward
  23. game — wild animals
  24. face — part of the head

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