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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · nail · cabinet · game · root · date · mark · swing

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. mark — a grade
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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