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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. club — for golf
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chest — a box
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bass — low music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bass — the fish

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