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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rash — a series
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mark — a grade

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