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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. root — of a plant
  3. dip — to sink
  4. root — of a word
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. root — the cause
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of law
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — for sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. court — of a king
  24. rash — a series

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