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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fine — all right
  6. date — the fruit
  7. tube — a container
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — the cause
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. root — of a plant
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. fine — high quality
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mouse — the animal

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