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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — of a word
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bass — low music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — a law
  14. bass — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rule — government
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rule — to rule out

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