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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hand — help
  4. root — the cause
  5. stock — shares
  6. net — after costs
  7. stock — goods
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. root — of a word
  11. suit — clothes
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hand — in cards
  14. root — of a plant
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — to fit
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. suit — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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