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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a cup
  8. date — the fruit
  9. root — of a word
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mug — a face
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. root — the cause
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — of a plant

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