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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · mark · fine · board · chair · dip · date · face

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fine — high quality
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. face — to confront
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mark — a trace
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — to come down
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. board — to get on
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. board — a committee

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