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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. suit — in cards
  16. squash — the sport
  17. capital — a city
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. date — the fruit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. squash — the vegetable

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