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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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468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wind — moving air
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rash — a series
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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