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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — to paddle
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a line
  8. mine — for digging
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a match
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. game — wild animals
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rest — a break

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