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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. band — a music group
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — for sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. date — the fruit
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — of a king
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — of the leg

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