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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. firm — a company
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. firm — steady
  24. leaves — of a tree

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