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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cold — not warm
  8. spell — letters
  9. club — for dancing
  10. root — of a word
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — a company
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — to visit
  17. club — for golf
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — the cause
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. firm — steady
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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