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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — from a university
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. root — the cause
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. content — the amount
  17. root — of a word
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. degree — an amount
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. can — to be able to

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