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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: bore · plane · date · stand · club · mate · rest · racket

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. club — for golf
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — to drill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mate — a partner
  24. club — a group

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