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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 · lean · rush · ball · drill · stand · date · toast

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — to bear
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lean — to bend
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pit — a hole
  21. toast — bread
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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