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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. track — a path
  3. mate — a partner
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. court — of law
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. root — of a plant
  18. dip — to sink
  19. court — of a king
  20. mate — to breed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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