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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. content — the amount
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — the cause
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pop — soda
  23. root — of a word
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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