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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mug — to rob
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rock — music
  12. object — a thing
  13. roll — a list
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — an aim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. race — humankind
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mug — a cup
  21. object — to protest
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — a stone
  24. race — a contest

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