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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: pitch · current · rest · date · deal · mine · mate · dip

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. current — of water
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mine — for digging
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mate — to breed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — happening now
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mate — a partner

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