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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cell — in biology
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — a measure
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. rush — hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. date — the fruit
  14. present — there
  15. track — a path
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — low music
  24. track — a song

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