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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — a committee
  4. swing — in golf
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. root — the cause
  10. file — a line of people
  11. board — to get on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. root — of a plant
  15. swing — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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