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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: fine · foot · date · jam · clip · scale · ball · face

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — to confront
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. face — part of the head
  12. scale — size or range
  13. clip — a video
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. scale — in music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ball — a great time
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. foot — a measure
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. ball — a dance

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