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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — the cause
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — for a computer

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