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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. root — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. charge — a price
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. degree — from a university
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — electricity
  18. degree — temperature
  19. root — of a word
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — a division
  22. root — the cause
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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