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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. foot — a measure
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitch — completely
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. object — an aim
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. hand — help
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. plane — a tool
  24. game — a match

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