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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cue — a signal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — ground
  11. tear — to rip
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cue — a hint
  17. land — a country
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. root — of a word
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. land — to come down

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