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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bass — low music
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. track — to keep track
  12. face — to point toward
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. face — to confront
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — a path
  24. perch — the fish

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