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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — to visit
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. game — a match
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — of the year
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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