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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. file — a line of people
  3. date — the fruit
  4. land — a country
  5. foot — a measure
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rest — what's left
  10. land — to come down
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kick — in football
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — for pool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. file — a tool
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rest — a break
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. file — a document
  24. rest — what's left

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