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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. firm — a company
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. club — for golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. firm — decided
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. firm — steady
  14. root — of a word
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. dip — to dunk

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