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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. roll — a list
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — a measure
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — goods
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. roll — a cake
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — shares
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. toast — bread
  23. kid — to tease
  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