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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: date · racket · mark · chair · pop · foot · mine · hide

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pop — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pop — soda
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mark — a grade
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — to keep secret

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