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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. root — the cause
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. calf — of the leg

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