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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — of a word
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. foot — a measure
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. track — a path
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. track — a song
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. net — after costs
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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