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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: pit · sharp · swing · march · plane · date · capital · toast

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. march — the month
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — in a race
  6. plane — a tool
  7. capital — money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. capital — a city
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — to play on
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. date — the fruit
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. march — music

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