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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. season — of the year
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a word
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — a line
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — the cause
  18. pop — soda
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — in sport
  24. row — to paddle

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