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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. root — the cause
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — for golf
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rash — hasty

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