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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 120 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're almost out of ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. object — a thing
  3. track — a song
  4. pop — to visit
  5. object — an aim
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a lid
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. court — of law
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — a hat
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. shower — rain
  18. object — to protest
  19. court — for sport
  20. pop — music
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — of ice

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