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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.

Make a worksheet

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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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 — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. net — for catching
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — to crush
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — the cause
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — after costs
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. squash — the sport
  17. game — wild animals
  18. dip — to sink
  19. club — a group
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. game — a match
  22. root — of a word
  23. net — in sport
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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