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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — to rip
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a list
  5. foot — a measure
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — army training
  11. date — the fruit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. content — happy
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — employees
  18. chip — for betting
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tear — from crying
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. roll — a cake

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