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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — in sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. roll — a cake
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ruler — for measuring

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