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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — a skill
  10. net — after costs
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. net — in sport
  21. bass — the fish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. root — the cause

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