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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. field — farmland
  4. root — of a word
  5. spring — the season
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. field — for sport
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — in cards
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — in music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spring — a coil
  21. root — of a plant
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — a subject
  24. scale — for weighing

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