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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to click
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mug — to rob
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mate — a partner
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fan — a supporter

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