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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for golf
  7. root — of a word
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — a group
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — the cause
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — the season

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