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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — finally
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. last — final
  16. foot — a measure
  17. last — to go on
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — music
  20. march — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cue — a signal

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