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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: suit · pitcher · club · date · mate · toast · rule · tube

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — a law
  4. tube — the underground
  5. date — the fruit
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mate — a friend
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — government
  15. club — for dancing
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mate — to breed
  19. toast — bread
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — in cards
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — to rule out

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