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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: cabinet · toast · tube · date · fine · mark · bay · root

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — of a word
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a grade
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — of a plant
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. toast — bread

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