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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: date · season · pit · cap · mate · bay · snap · capital

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — in a race
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. capital — money
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cap — of ice
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cap — a hat
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to click
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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