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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. root — of a word
  4. field — for sport
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. row — a line
  13. root — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. root — the cause
  19. chest — a box
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — bread

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