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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — bread
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — help
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a music group
  14. can — to be able to
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hand — in cards
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stand — on your feet

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