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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. root — the cause
  3. track — a song
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. firm — decided
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — a hint
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — a company
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kid — to tease
  22. track — to keep track
  23. firm — steady
  24. track — a path

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