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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: pop · calf · fine · current · spring · date · mark · pit

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. current — of water
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spring — of water
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — high quality
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — a hole

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