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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — music
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. root — of a plant
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. firm — a company
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. swing — in golf
  23. coach — a trainer
  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