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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: fall · foot · stick · game · can · date · ruler · jam

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — a match
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — the season
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — the fruit
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. foot — a measure
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fall — to drop

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