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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. shower — rain
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — for catching
  6. root — the cause
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. file — a tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a document
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. root — of a word

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