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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. root — the cause
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — the time now
  7. root — of a word
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. present — there
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — in a race
  17. swing — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. swing — to play on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitcher — a jug

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