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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. root — of a word
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — to wash
  7. game — a match
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. mug — to rob
  16. shower — rain
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mug — a face
  19. deal — to handle
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. root — the cause

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