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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: root · pit · bowl · tube · ground · season · leaves · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — of a word
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ground — crushed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. root — of a plant
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — of the year
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. root — the cause
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — in sport

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