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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: field · pass · mate · mark · racket · content · lash · bore

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — happy
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — to drill
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — the amount
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a grade
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. field — for sport

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