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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. hand — in cards
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. root — the cause
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. track — a path
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — a song
  19. court — of a king
  20. club — for golf
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. tube — a container
  24. calf — a young animal

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