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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ground — a position
  4. root — of a word
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. root — the cause
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. snap — to click
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ground — the earth
  18. row — a line
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — the animal

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