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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — of a plant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — to bear
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — a country
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fan — a supporter

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