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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — for digging
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mine — an explosive

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