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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — the sport
  10. root — of a word
  11. row — to paddle
  12. track — a song
  13. suit — in cards
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. track — a path
  17. root — the cause
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — a hat
  22. squash — to crush
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — to turn a key

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