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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mark — a trace
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. firm — a company
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. date — the fruit
  24. court — for sport

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