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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. squash — to crush
  12. row — a line
  13. spring — the season
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — to paddle
  18. root — of a plant
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spring — a coil
  24. swing — to play 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