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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: can · spell · mark · club · wake · ball · ground · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spell — letters
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a great time
  11. club — for golf
  12. wake — a trail
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — a trace
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — a short time
  19. date — the fruit
  20. spell — magic
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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