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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.

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: can · date · arm · foot · racket · ball · cold · rock

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cold — not warm
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — a measure
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cold — an illness
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rock — a stone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ball — a round shape

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