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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · dip · root · bat · file · fine · tube · chair

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. root — of a plant
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. field — a subject
  7. file — a document
  8. bat — the animal
  9. chair — a leader
  10. field — for sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. root — the cause
  13. field — farmland
  14. root — of a word
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. tube — a container
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — high quality

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