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

Word bank: bat · firm · foot · rule · date · object · content · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. firm — steady
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rule — government
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. object — an aim
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. object — a thing
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. object — to protest
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. firm — a company
  24. bat — the animal

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