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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. game — wild animals
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fine — all right
  7. game — a match
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. toast — bread
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — a division
  24. safe — out of danger

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