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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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. cap — of ice
  4. foot — a measure
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fork — in a road
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cap — a hat
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — to eat with

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