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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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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: toast · ground · root · ball · cabinet · date · kid · board

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ball — a great time
  3. toast — bread
  4. root — of a word
  5. date — the fruit
  6. board — a committee
  7. kid — child
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ground — crushed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — a position
  14. ball — a dance
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ground — the earth
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. board — to get on
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — a flat piece

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