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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. season — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pass — a permit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pit — in a race
  20. date — the fruit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitch — completely
  24. season — to add flavour

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