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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: track · safe · fan · date · pound · race · present · pit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. track — to keep track
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a song
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — a gift
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. race — humankind
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. race — the arms race
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. pit — in a race
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pound — a weight
  21. race — a contest
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — a hole
  24. track — a path

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