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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. spring — a coil
  5. track — a path
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spring — the season
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. key — the most important part
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — the cause
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. track — to keep track
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. dip — to dunk

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