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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — a measure
  5. firm — decided
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — the cause
  10. firm — steady
  11. chip — for betting
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. root — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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