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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. club — for dancing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. club — a group
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. root — of a plant

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