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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chair — a leader
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pass — a permit
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — a break
  18. pit — a hole
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pit — in a race
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. march — music

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