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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — in golf
  11. land — ground
  12. can — a tin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. season — in sport
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kid — child
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. land — a country
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — to come down

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