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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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 plant
  3. toast — bread
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. root — of a word
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — the cause
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a football final

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