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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ground — the earth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. land — ground
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. march — music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — with your hand

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