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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: pitch · fine · march · mate · rush · staff · rule · date

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. fine — high quality
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. staff — a stick
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. staff — employees
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fine — all right
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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