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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — high quality
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. date — the fruit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. march — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — all right
  20. root — of a plant
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — the cause

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