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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — the fruit
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. row — to paddle
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — a position
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — a line
  24. rush — hurry

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