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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: bear · fine · staff · dip · pitch · date · leaves · march

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. staff — employees
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. dip — to sink
  20. date — the fruit
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. date — on the calendar

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