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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitch — completely
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. net — for catching
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bank — for money
  13. date — the fruit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bank — for money
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. net — in sport

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