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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitch — completely
  6. date — the fruit
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. season — of the year
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. season — in sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a dance
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitch — a sports field

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