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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: stand · ruler · foot · date · bat · pop · wake · mate

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. date — the fruit
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mate — to breed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pop — soda
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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