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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. staff — employees
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. present — there
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. field — farmland
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bear — to put up with
  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