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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 120 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. swing — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. swing — to play on
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — a position
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ground — crushed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. root — the cause
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. root — of a word
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. swing — in golf

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