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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — of a word
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. root — the cause
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. suit — to fit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. club — for golf
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bat — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — in cards
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pound — a weight
  23. game — a match
  24. club — a group

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