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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. firm — decided
  4. root — the cause
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. roll — a list
  8. spell — magic
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. roll — a cake
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. swing — in golf
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — a short time
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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