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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 · calf · mark · bay · pit · date · file · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. file — a document
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — a trace
  7. date — the fruit
  8. file — a tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. file — a line of people
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — a stone
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — music

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