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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: board · pass · racket · swing · safe · stock · date · season

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — a committee
  4. pass — a permit
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stock — shares
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — in sport
  17. swing — in golf
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. safe — out of danger

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