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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — a container
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — for digging
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — the underground
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. staff — employees
  24. rock — a stone

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