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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. root — the cause
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — in cards
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. root — of a plant
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — of law
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — part of the body

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