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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ground — a position
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. court — for sport
  7. root — of a word
  8. court — of law
  9. ground — crushed
  10. court — of a king
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rock — music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. scale — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — the cause
  23. rock — a stone
  24. date — on the calendar

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