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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — all right
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. shower — to wash
  14. root — of a plant
  15. last — finally
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pass — a permit
  18. root — of a word
  19. last — final
  20. board — a committee
  21. root — the cause
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. shower — rain
  24. last — to go on

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