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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. date — the fruit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — to get on
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. dip — to sink
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. board — a committee
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a grade
  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