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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: saw · date · mark · dip · capital · mug · object · bore

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. object — a thing
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — money
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. object — to protest
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — a city
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — to tire
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bore — to drill
  21. object — an aim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mug — to rob

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