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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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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: foot · bat · capital · content · press · firm · mouse · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — to push
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — money
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — a city
  12. content — the amount
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. firm — a company
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — the animal
  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