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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. date — the fruit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — a tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — a measure
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pit — a hole
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chest — a box

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