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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bore — to drill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rush — hurry
  12. root — of a word
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bass — the fish
  24. dip — to sink

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