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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: band · mug · mark · tube · mate · date · pound · net

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. tube — a container
  3. net — in sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. tube — the underground
  8. band — a ring
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mug — a face
  11. net — for catching
  12. date — the fruit
  13. net — after costs
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mate — a friend
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mate — to breed
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mark — a trace
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — a partner

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