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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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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pass — a permit
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pop — to visit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. root — of a word
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. foot — a measure
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pop — music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. branch — a division

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