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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. root — of a word
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. swing — in golf
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — the cause
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ground — a position
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fall — the season
  24. cap — a lid

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