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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: kick · date · chair · pass · deal · rock · mark · wind

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rock — music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rock — a stone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kick — in football
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chair — a leader

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