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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. root — the cause
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — ground
  10. pit — in a race
  11. degree — from a university
  12. date — the fruit
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. hand — in cards
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bark — to shout
  22. land — a country
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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