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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 · season · mark · squash · rest · calf · club · march

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — a break
  8. squash — to crush
  9. march — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. season — in sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — a group
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mark — a grade

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