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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: date · press · mate · season · wound · file · fan · ball

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. date — the fruit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. file — a tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. file — a document
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — of the year
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ball — a dance
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a great time

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