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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. face — to confront
  9. pit — a hole
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — the cause
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — a stick
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pit — in a race

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