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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. firm — steady
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — a company
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — music
  24. spell — magic

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