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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: fine · field · bay · root · calf · hand · bank · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. root — the cause
  5. field — farmland
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. date — the fruit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — help
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — for money
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hand — in cards

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