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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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. racket — a loud noise
  4. bass — the fish
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a word
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bass — the instrument

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