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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. root — of a word
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — a path
  8. root — the cause
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. present — there
  15. content — happy
  16. lean — to bend
  17. content — the amount
  18. lean — thin
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. present — a gift
  24. ground — the earth

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