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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. club — for golf
  8. pit — in a race
  9. date — the fruit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mate — a partner
  21. content — happy
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pit — a hole

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