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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. swing — in golf
  3. date — the fruit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. object — to protest
  7. root — of a plant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. swing — music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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