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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. field — for sport
  5. scale — in music
  6. field — farmland
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. drill — the tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bay — a horse colour

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