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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. hand — help
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lean — thin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. hand — in cards
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — the cause

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