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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. root — the cause
  3. net — for catching
  4. lean — to bend
  5. squash — the sport
  6. kid — to tease
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a friend
  9. net — after costs
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — in sport
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. swing — to play on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. swing — music
  19. kid — child
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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