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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: mouse · pit · race · jam · mark · date · mate · spring

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spring — of water
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — the fruit
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — a friend
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — a trace
  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