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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · date · ball · wake · object · pit

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. object — a thing
  3. season — of the year
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — to protest
  10. date — the fruit
  11. object — an aim
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. season — in sport
  15. pit — in a race
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wake — a trail
  18. date — on the calendar

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