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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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. present — a gift
  4. chest — a box
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. pop — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a plant
  14. swing — music
  15. present — there
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a hole

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