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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. root — the cause
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a word
  6. clip — to cut
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. roll — a list
  15. march — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a cake
  24. clip — a video

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