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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. date — the fruit
  9. field — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — of ice
  18. present — there
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. field — a subject
  24. pass — to succeed

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