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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. content — the amount
  6. mark — a trace
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. plane — a tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitch — completely
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. craft — a skill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. content — happy
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. plane — in geometry

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