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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. dip — to sink
  3. net — in sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. field — a subject
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kick — in football
  11. plane — a tool
  12. field — for sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — the cause
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. net — after costs
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — of a word
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. field — farmland

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