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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ground — a position
  7. file — a document
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — of a word
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pop — soda
  24. ground — the earth

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