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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
468
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: saw · date · staff · last · pitch · present · degree · bank

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. last — to go on
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — of a river
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. degree — from a university
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — an amount
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pitch — completely
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. last — final
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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