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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. root — of a word
  3. ground — crushed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. staff — employees
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bass — the instrument

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