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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: content · date · foot · season · drill · march · rush · calf

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — the tool
  4. content — happy
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — a measure
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — army training
  10. march — the month
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. march — the month
  14. season — of the year
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — in sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. date — on the calendar

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