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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — the season
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — a weight
  11. root — the cause
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — of water
  22. staff — employees
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fan — to cool the air

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