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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — a measure
  5. club — a group
  6. roll — a list
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — a cake
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. club — for golf
  21. rest — a break
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — the sport
  24. foot — part of the body

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