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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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tube — a container
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — soda
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. root — the cause
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. root — of a word
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. root — of a plant

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