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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: deal · march · mate · rock · date · craft · spell · mug

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — boats
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. march — music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — a stone
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mate — to breed
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mug — a face

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