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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. row — a line
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. row — to paddle
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. root — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bat — the animal

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