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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: bass · ruler · pop · date · cap · mark · snap · mate

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a lid
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — soda
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. snap — to click
  24. ruler — a monarch

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