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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — after costs
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — the fruit
  23. net — in sport
  24. mate — a partner

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