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

Word bank: mate · track · stick · pitch · cue · bay · date · capital

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a hint
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. date — the fruit
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. capital — a city
  14. track — a path
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. capital — money
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — a song
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cue — a signal

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