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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: bay · can · pop · date · season · wound · current · pit

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. current — happening now
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — in sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. current — of water
  16. date — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — electric

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