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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: date · file · hide · bat · pit · sharp · march · arm

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. file — a tool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. file — a document
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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