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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — a measure
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — a tin
  6. ground — a position
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. date — the fruit
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mine — for digging
  24. suit — in cards

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