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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: kid · date · rush · mark · jam · leaves · deal · scale

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. mark — to pay attention
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — hurry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mark — a trace
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kid — child
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — to handle
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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