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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ground — crushed
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. ground — the earth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — a position
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitch — completely
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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