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

Word bank: bay · mark · march · rock · date · ball · stick · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mark — a grade
  4. march — music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rock — a stone
  7. root — the cause
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rock — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — the month
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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