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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. root — the cause
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. bound — certain
  6. court — of law
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a word
  12. press — newspapers
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — obliged
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. press — to push
  19. last — final
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chair — a leader
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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