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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. root — of a plant
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. field — a subject
  14. root — of a word
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — the most important part
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rock — music
  21. root — the cause
  22. field — for sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. can — to be able to

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