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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: tear · mark · bowl · pit · spring · leaves · tube · date

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a grade
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — a container
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tear — to rip
  18. spring — the season
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spring — of water
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. date — on the calendar

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