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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: bear · bass · mug · bay · stand · swing · mate · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a cup
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — for spectators

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