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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. squash — the sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — the cause
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kick — in football
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. field — for sport

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