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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. key — the most important part
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. toast — bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. race — a contest
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — to grow
  17. race — the arms race
  18. key — for a lock
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — in music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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