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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — of a plant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — the cause
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. row — a line
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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