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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. file — a document
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. capital — a city
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. capital — money
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pop — to visit
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a tool
  17. pop — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. file — a line of people

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