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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chest — of your body
  3. net — after costs
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chest — a box
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. court — of a king
  19. net — for catching
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. court — for sport
  23. net — in sport
  24. court — of law

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