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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — of the year
  14. chip — for betting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. board — a committee
  18. wax — to grow
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — in sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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