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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. present — there
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. present — the time now
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. present — a gift
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. land — a country
  17. fork — in a road
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — to come down
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. date — the fruit
  22. land — ground
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — to play on

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