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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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468
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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. field — for sport
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — a subject
  12. fall — the season
  13. toast — bread
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. field — farmland
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. root — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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