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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. firm — steady
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — a group
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cold — not warm
  13. firm — decided
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — a company
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. club — for golf
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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