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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: pit · cabinet · sharp · date · jam · club · season · present

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. sharp — clever
  2. club — for golf
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. present — there
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. season — in sport
  13. date — the fruit
  14. present — the time now
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — a hole
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — a gift
  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