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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spring — the season
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — for catching
  16. hand — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — a coil
  20. squash — the sport
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. net — after costs
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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