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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chest — a box
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — after costs
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — for catching
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chest — of your body

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