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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. march — the month
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. root — the cause
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — in control
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — all right
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — electricity
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a plant
  17. charge — a price
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a word
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. field — a subject

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