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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. root — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. field — a subject
  9. root — of a word
  10. field — farmland
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. swing — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. field — for sport
  20. scale — size or range
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — a hat
  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