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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — ground
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. land — to come down
  7. foot — a measure
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. firm — a company
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. land — a country
  14. root — of a word
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. club — a group
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — the cause
  22. firm — steady
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — of a plant

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