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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: bay · mark · date · current · face · season · ball · mouse

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. current — happening now
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ball — a great time
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a dance
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. season — of the year
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. face — to confront
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. current — electric

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