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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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468
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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spring — the season
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spring — of water
  13. root — of a word
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fine — all right
  16. shower — rain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. root — the cause
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chair — a professorship

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