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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — in sport
  3. date — the fruit
  4. net — after costs
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — for catching
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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