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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — a contest
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — of a word
  7. pop — soda
  8. press — a publisher
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — hasty
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. race — the arms race
  19. press — to push
  20. date — the fruit
  21. press — newspapers
  22. race — humankind
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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