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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — a path
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. date — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. root — of a word
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. root — the cause
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. toast — bread
  21. track — a song
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. root — of a plant
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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