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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: rash · cabinet · bark · capital · date · pit · deal · mate

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — money
  7. rash — a series
  8. mate — a friend
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. capital — a city
  24. pit — in a race

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