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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — a subject
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. object — to protest
  20. suit — to fit
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pass — a permit

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