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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. root — the cause
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mark — a trace
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. suit — to fit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mark — a grade
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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