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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — high quality
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. kid — child
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chip — for betting
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a music group
  21. kid — to tease
  22. band — a ring
  23. root — of a word
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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