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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. band — a ring
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. date — the fruit
  7. root — of a word
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a music group
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. root — the cause
  13. stem — to come from
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — electricity
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. vault — a safe

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