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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a grade
  5. field — a subject
  6. object — a thing
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. root — of a word
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. field — farmland
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. present — there
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. root — the cause
  19. present — a gift
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — for sport
  24. present — the time now

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