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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — a path
  5. root — of a word
  6. present — the time now
  7. root — of a plant
  8. club — a group
  9. spell — letters
  10. present — a gift
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. spring — of water
  13. track — a song
  14. spell — a short time
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spring — a coil
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. present — there
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. track — to keep track
  24. root — the cause

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