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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — in a race
  3. root — the cause
  4. rock — music
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — of a word
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — a stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — bread
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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