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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — the cause
  4. pop — to visit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pop — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pop — soda
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. root — of a word
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — goods
  19. date — the fruit
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. tube — the underground
  24. shower — rain

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