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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pop — soda
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — clever
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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