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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rock — a stone
  6. staff — employees
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. root — of a word
  11. season — in sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. season — of the year
  20. staff — a stick
  21. root — of a plant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. scale — in music
  24. root — the cause

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