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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cap — a lid
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mate — to breed
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cue — a signal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mate — a partner

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