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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 · foot · roll · mark · pit · wave · wake · bear

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. roll — a list
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — in a race
  6. roll — a cake
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mouse — the 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