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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 116 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rock — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — steady
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. face — to point toward
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — to confront
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — a company
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. last — finally
  20. chip — for betting
  21. last — final
  22. net — in sport
  23. last — to go on
  24. firm — decided

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