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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pound — a weight
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

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