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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a word
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. field — for sport
  15. root — the cause
  16. field — a subject
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. key — for a lock
  24. field — farmland

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