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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. root — the cause
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — of a plant
  14. branch — a division
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pit — a hole
  20. root — of a word
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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