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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. scale — in music
  5. snap — to click
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. field — for sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. field — a subject
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. field — farmland
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cap — a hat
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cap — a lid

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