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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — temperature
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — an amount
  9. march — the month
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chip — for betting
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. march — the month
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. root — of a plant
  21. roll — a list
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. march — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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