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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chair — a leader
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. suit — to fit
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. scale — size or range
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. suit — in cards
  19. root — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — a song
  24. root — the cause

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