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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — of a word
  8. pop — to visit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — the cause
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kick — with a leg

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