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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. net — after costs
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. present — a gift
  10. tube — a container
  11. net — for catching
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — the cause
  16. date — the fruit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — there
  24. root — of a plant

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