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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — a short time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — a subject
  6. mate — a friend
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bat — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. root — of a word
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. mate — a partner
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — farmland
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — to breed
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — the sport

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