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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. date — the fruit
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wake — a trail
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rock — music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bank — for money

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