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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. date — the fruit

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