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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. season — of the year
  3. rule — government
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — a law
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — in sport
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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