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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — to sink
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — a group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — for dancing

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