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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mate — a partner
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pop — music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stand — to bear
  17. date — the fruit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mate — a friend
  24. coach — a trainer

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