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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mine · squash · deal · root · rock · tube · net

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — the sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. net — for catching
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tube — the underground
  24. deal — a big deal

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