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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. root — of a plant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — the cause
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — a path
  10. rock — music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fine — all right
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rock — a stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. root — of a word
  24. date — the fruit

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