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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. date — the fruit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. root — of a plant
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — finally
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — completely
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. last — final
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — of a word
  23. track — a path
  24. last — to go on

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