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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spring — of water
  3. wax — to grow
  4. firm — decided
  5. court — for sport
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — a company
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. content — happy
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — a cup
  12. root — of a word
  13. swing — in golf
  14. firm — steady
  15. court — of a king
  16. content — the amount
  17. root — of a plant
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — of law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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