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

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — of a word
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — in sport
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. squash — the sport
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. root — the cause
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. season — of the year
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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