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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. track — a path
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. root — of a word
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a song
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pit — in a race

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