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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. net — after costs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. cap — a hat
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. net — in sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — of ice
  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