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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. foot — a measure
  6. scale — in music
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a great time
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wake — a trail
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. field — farmland
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mark — a trace
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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