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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: bass · board · mate · present · cell · pit · date · lie

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. present — there
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — a gift
  7. mate — a friend
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. present — the time now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bass — the fish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — low music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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