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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spell — magic
  4. foot — a measure
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. swing — music
  11. root — the cause
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — letters
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. root — of a word

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