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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. current — happening now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rule — a law
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. date — the fruit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — of water
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. current — electric
  16. drill — army training
  17. last — finally
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — government
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rule — to rule out

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