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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chair — a leader
  19. track — a song
  20. root — of a plant
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. face — to confront
  24. temple — a place of worship

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