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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. deal — to handle
  8. snap — to click
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. root — the cause
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. season — of the year
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bear — the animal

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