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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: pass · pit · pitcher · band · wake · season · date · pop

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. season — of the year
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. band — a music group
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pop — soda
  18. band — a ring
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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