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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pop — soda
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bat — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pop — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. root — of a word
  11. ground — the earth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pop — to visit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — for a lock
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bat — for 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