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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — a short time
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mark — a trace
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spell — magic
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. date — on the calendar

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