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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: suit · chair · rush · mate · date · dip · rock · pass

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. date — the fruit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. dip — to sink
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pass — to succeed

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