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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. foot — a measure
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. root — of a word
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — a weight
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — the cause
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pound — for dogs

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