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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: date · bear · mark · bay · bat · cabinet · pitcher · track

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. track — a song
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — a path
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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