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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. season — in sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. track — a song
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. track — a path
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. face — part of the head
  18. season — of the year
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. face — to confront
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pound — a weight

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