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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — a stone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bass — the fish
  8. field — for sport
  9. bass — low music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — a subject
  12. pit — a hole
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. root — of a word
  15. staff — employees
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — farmland
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — of the year
  21. rock — music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — employees

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