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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spring — the season
  7. roll — a cake
  8. spring — a coil
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — government
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — a law
  15. bass — the fish
  16. root — of a word
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — a list
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — to be able to
  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