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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — bread
  3. root — of a plant
  4. field — farmland
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. present — a gift
  10. rock — a stone
  11. field — for sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — there
  15. root — of a word
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. field — a subject
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rock — music
  20. root — the cause
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rule — government
  24. present — the time now

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