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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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. mate — to breed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mate — a friend
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. season — in sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a partner
  24. jam — a tight spot

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