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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. root — of a plant
  3. current — happening now
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tube — a container
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. key — the most important part
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — of a word
  18. current — electric
  19. root — the cause
  20. current — of water
  21. ground — the earth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — help

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