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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — humankind
  7. can — a tin
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chest — a box
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. race — the arms race
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. race — a contest
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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