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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: face · object · pit · date · stick · safe · kick · board

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. date — the fruit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. board — to get on
  6. pit — a hole
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. object — to protest
  14. kick — in football
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. object — an aim
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pit — in a race
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — a committee

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