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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: bark · date · cap · ball · fine · season · trunk · mark

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — all right
  15. season — of the year
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a tree

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