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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. firm — steady
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — a face
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — to confront
  9. band — a music group
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — to bear
  12. root — of a word
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mug — to rob
  15. root — the cause
  16. band — a ring
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — decided
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — a company
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a rubber band

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