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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — to wash
  6. club — a group
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. root — of a word
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chair — a leader
  15. shower — rain
  16. root — the cause
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. root — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. track — a song
  22. face — part of the head
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chair — to sit on

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