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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a word
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. content — happy
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. track — a song
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — to bear
  14. club — a group
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. club — for golf
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pit — in a race
  19. content — the amount
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a path

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