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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cold — not warm
  3. spell — a short time
  4. club — for dancing
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. club — a group
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. date — the fruit
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ground — crushed
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ground — a position
  17. cold — an illness
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spell — magic
  22. club — for golf
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — on the calendar

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