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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · march · cabinet · date · pit · game · mate · race

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. race — humankind
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. march — the month
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — the arms race
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mate — to breed
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. race — a contest
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — a partner
  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