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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — after costs
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cue — a hint
  10. toast — bread
  11. root — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. file — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — decided
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. net — for catching
  21. cue — a signal
  22. firm — a company
  23. perch — the fish
  24. file — a document

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