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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: bore · mate · roll · can · key · staff · pit · date

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. roll — a list
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — the most important part
  12. staff — a stick
  13. key — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mate — to breed
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to tire
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. key — for a lock

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