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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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