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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ground — a position
  7. pop — soda
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ground — crushed
  15. root — of a word
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — for catching
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — in sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. mug — a face
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a dance

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