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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. last — finally
  3. board — to get on
  4. last — final
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. root — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spell — letters
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a committee
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — wild animals
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bowl — to roll
  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