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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. root — of a plant
  3. roll — a list
  4. fine — all right
  5. swing — to play on
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. root — the cause
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — music
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. snap — to click
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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