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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: date · wound · pit · chair · calf · march · mark · wave

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chair — a leader
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pit — a hole
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mark — a trace
  24. march — music

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