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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. net — in sport
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — decided
  14. net — for catching
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. firm — a company
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. band — a music group
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. band — a ring
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — steady
  24. date — on the calendar

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