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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. squash — the sport
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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