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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.

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: dip · pop · game · roll · chair · root · rest · jam

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. root — the cause
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. root — of a word
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. game — a match
  12. pop — to visit
  13. roll — a cake
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rest — a break
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — of a plant
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  24. roll — a list

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