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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. degree — from a university
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — a partner
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. suit — in cards
  18. degree — an amount
  19. suit — clothes
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. suit — to fit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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