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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — not warm
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. can — a tin
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. shower — rain
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — to be able to
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tube — a container

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