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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · ground · date · bass · pit · calf · rush · squash

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pit — a hole
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — low music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ground — a position
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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