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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: pit · plane · safe · deal · season · cap · net · date

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — for catching
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. season — in sport
  9. pit — a hole
  10. season — of the year
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. net — after costs
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. net — in sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. safe — out of danger

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