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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — the cause
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mark — a trace
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — for betting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — a grade

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