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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: rest · season · ball · root · rash · date · deal · fork

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a dance
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. root — the cause
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — hasty
  15. root — of a plant
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. root — of a word
  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