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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — in golf
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — of a plant
  10. capital — a city
  11. mark — a trace
  12. root — the cause
  13. swing — music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bound — certain
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a word
  19. bound — tied together
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. capital — money

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