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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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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: pitch · tear · pass · cap · pop · club · present · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pop — to visit
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cap — a hat
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pop — soda
  23. pass — a permit
  24. club — a group

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