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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. capital — money
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bore — to tire
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. land — to come down
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — ground
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — a country
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. capital — a city
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bore — to drill

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