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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — a series
  4. date — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rash — hasty
  10. file — a document
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. root — the cause
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — of a plant
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. board — a committee
  24. patient — a sick person

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