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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. root — the cause
  3. date — the fruit
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wake — a trail
  6. root — of a word
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. degree — temperature
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. roll — a list
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — a practice
  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