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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: foot · ball · rock · perch · hide · capital · date · deal

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ball — a dance
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. capital — a city
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rock — music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — the bottom

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