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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bat — the animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. field — a subject
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. field — for sport
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. field — farmland

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