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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — electric
  15. root — the cause
  16. content — happy
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a leader
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. row — a line
  24. coach — a trainer

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