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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — the cause
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. field — farmland
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — for betting
  10. march — the month
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. march — music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chip — to eat
  19. root — of a word
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. field — a subject
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — for sport

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