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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pit — in a race
  3. foot — a measure
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bound — obliged
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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