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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: fork · date · bay · coach · net · pit · hide · race

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fork — in a road
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. race — humankind
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — for catching
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — in sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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