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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spring — the season
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. root — the cause
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spring — a coil
  13. drill — army training
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — of a plant
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bass — low music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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