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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pop — soda
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. drill — a practice
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a word
  18. pop — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — a tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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