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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — to sink
  6. root — of a plant
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pop — soda
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. root — the cause
  13. pop — to visit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — in a road
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pop — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rush — a thrill

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