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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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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 · pit · roll · calf · chair · key · bat · tube

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. roll — a cake
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — the underground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — in music
  18. roll — a list
  19. tube — a container
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chair — a leader
  24. roll — on a roll

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