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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pop — to visit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a word
  7. pop — music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pop — soda
  10. game — a match
  11. bass — low music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ball — a great time
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — the season
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — the fish

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