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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. date — the fruit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. foot — the bottom

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