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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. root — the cause
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cue — a hint
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cue — for pool
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. object — to protest
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cue — a signal
  15. root — of a word
  16. pit — a hole
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. object — a thing
  20. cold — an illness
  21. track — a path
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. root — of a plant
  24. foot — a measure

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