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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: bound · drill · mate · mark · wave · field · deal · date

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. date — the fruit
  12. drill — army training
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. drill — a practice
  15. field — for sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mate — to breed
  18. field — a subject
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bound — obliged
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — farmland
  24. date — on the calendar

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