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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. court — of law
  4. face — to point toward
  5. degree — an amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — from a university
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — completely
  11. degree — temperature
  12. court — of a king
  13. hand — in cards
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — help
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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