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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: date · march · foot · wind · key · lie · net · race

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — in sport
  6. march — the month
  7. race — the arms race
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. race — humankind
  10. key — in music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — a contest
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — a measure
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. date — on the calendar

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