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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — the cause
  4. track — a song
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. land — ground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. track — a path
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — farmland
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rest — what's left
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. land — a country
  24. bulb — of a plant

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