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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — a measure
  6. perch — the fish
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bore — to tire
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to drill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — to play on
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mark — a grade

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