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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: season · board · date · mark · safe · key · mug · calf

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. key — in music
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. season — in sport
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — a committee
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — a young animal

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