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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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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: stick · ball · march · racket · root · date · jam · scale

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — the cause
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. march — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. march — the month
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a plant
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ball — a dance

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