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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — for golf
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. root — the cause
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mug — a face
  12. fine — all right
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. club — for dancing
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. swing — in golf
  20. club — a group
  21. mug — a cup
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. mug — to rob

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