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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — to get on
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kid — child
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — soda
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pop — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. root — of a word
  20. board — a committee
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — a flat piece

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