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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. root — the cause
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. firm — decided
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. firm — steady
  8. bear — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. field — farmland
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — a subject
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — of a word
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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