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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · foot · perch · date · game · can · bat · stick

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. land — a country
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. date — the fruit
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — to come down
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — wild animals
  19. land — ground
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  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