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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for golf
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pit — in a race
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — a thing
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — a gift
  15. object — to protest
  16. shower — rain
  17. root — of a word
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. object — an aim
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — there
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pit — a hole

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