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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. track — a song
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — to come down
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. track — a path
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — the cause
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. land — ground
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. root — of a word
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. land — a country

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