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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: band · kid · date · fine · wake · race · pitch · pass

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fine — high quality
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitch — completely
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. band — a ring
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — child
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. race — a contest
  24. band — a music group

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