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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
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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: arm · can · bat · pit · current · key · date · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bat — the animal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cold — not warm
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — of water
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cold — an illness
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pit — a hole
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — electric
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. key — in music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. current — happening now
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — a part of something

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