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

Word bank: mine · toast · root · cold · rash · firm · jam · stick

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. toast — bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rash — a series
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. firm — steady
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — decided
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mine — for digging
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cold — not warm
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mine — an explosive

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