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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · mate · arm · dip · racket · foot · date · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — in music
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mate — a partner
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. date — the fruit

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