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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — a practice
  15. foot — a measure
  16. squash — to crush
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. club — a group
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — of a plant
  24. squash — the vegetable

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