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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — a stick
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. degree — from a university
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — a tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. foot — a measure
  15. root — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a word
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a committee
  24. root — the cause

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