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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bear — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitch — completely
  16. net — for catching
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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