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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — the month
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. march — music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rest — what's left
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — in football
  24. date — the fruit

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