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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. date — the fruit
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ball — a dance
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — of the year
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — there
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pit — in a race
  19. present — the time now
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — employees
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ball — a great time

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