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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. key — in music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — the cause
  16. key — for a lock
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a word
  23. net — in sport
  24. bound — obliged

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