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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. foot — a measure
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. firm — steady
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. drill — a practice
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — to bend
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — in music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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