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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. club — a group
  4. firm — steady
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — after costs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a grade
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — for golf
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. firm — decided
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — a company
  17. present — a gift
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. mark — a trace
  22. root — of a word
  23. date — the fruit
  24. root — the cause

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