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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. firm — steady
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. game — a match
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — soda
  20. bass — low music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pop — music
  23. chest — a box
  24. stand — for spectators

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