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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. swing — music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. swing — in golf
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — size or range
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. fall — the season
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. root — of a word

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