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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: mate · date · bank · present · row · squash · pit · cap

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mate — a partner
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — there
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. date — the fruit
  13. row — a line
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bank — of a river
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — a gift
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — to crush
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. present — the time now
  24. bank — for money

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