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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: mark · pit · bear · date · kick · current · season · mate

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pit — a hole
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — a trace
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mate — a friend
  21. current — happening now
  22. mark — a grade
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — to add flavour

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