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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: date · row · dip · suit · staff · spell · bat · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. row — a line
  5. suit — clothes
  6. foot — a measure
  7. date — the fruit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — to paddle
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spell — letters
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — to dunk

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