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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · drill · spell · root · craft · mine · pitch · march

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pitch — completely
  4. root — of a word
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mine — for digging
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. march — the month
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — magic
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. date — the fruit
  18. march — music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. root — the cause
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. drill — a practice

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