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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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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: rule · mark · toast · face · pop · pound · bay · date

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pop — soda
  5. toast — bread
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pop — music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mark — a trace
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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