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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — temperature
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rest — a break
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — wild animals
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — a measure
  13. degree — from a university
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — an amount
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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