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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. suit — clothes
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. root — of a word
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. deal — to handle
  15. date — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — to paddle
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. root — the cause

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