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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stand — to bear
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. date — the fruit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. foot — part of the body

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