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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. file — a document
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a word
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a tool

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