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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: date · bear · root · tube · squash · fine · pop · object

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — soda
  5. root — the cause
  6. object — a thing
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. object — to protest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — an aim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — music
  24. bear — to put up with

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