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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chest — of your body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cap — a lid
  9. race — humankind
  10. cap — a hat
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — a contest
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. race — the arms race

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