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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · mate · safe · key · can · pitch · date · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — to breed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — completely
  15. date — the fruit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — in sport
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cold — the Cold War

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