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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. march — music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — bread
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — a measure
  9. court — of a king
  10. land — ground
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. land — to come down
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — the month
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — the fruit
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. court — of law
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. court — for sport

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