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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: date · season · bay · squash · rash · pit · club · patient

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — a hole
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. squash — to crush
  13. club — for golf
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. club — a group
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. squash — the sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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