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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. present — the time now
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. present — a gift
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. face — to point toward
  13. present — there
  14. track — a song
  15. board — to get on
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitch — completely
  22. face — to confront
  23. board — a committee
  24. date — on the calendar

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