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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: ball · pound · mark · mate · chair · suit · rush · date

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ball — a dance
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mark — a trace
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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