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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. toast — bread
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. firm — decided
  12. season — in sport
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. firm — a company
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. season — of the year
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. date — the fruit
  24. firm — steady

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