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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. game — wild animals
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. root — of a plant
  5. roll — a list
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. drill — army training
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — a match
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bound — tied together
  16. root — of a word
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. root — the cause
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bound — obliged
  24. kick — a thrill

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