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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — for catching
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — after costs
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — a measure
  20. root — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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