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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: spell · pit · tube · lean · mark · land · ball · date

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. lean — to bend
  3. land — a country
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mark — a grade
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — thin
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. land — to come down
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — ground
  23. date — the fruit
  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