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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. board — a committee
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. board — to get on
  12. land — ground
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a word
  24. date — on the calendar

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