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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: racket · pit · date · safe · file · current · pass · last

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. last — final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pass — a permit
  7. file — a document
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — happening now
  17. pit — a hole
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. current — of water
  23. last — finally
  24. date — the fruit

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