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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. can — to be able to
  6. swing — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — of a word
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. root — the cause
  20. field — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — to play on

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