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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. field — a subject
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. root — of a word
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. root — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bass — low music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rash — a series
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — out of danger

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