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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. swing — to play on
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. swing — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mark — a trace
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. root — of a word
  22. kick — in football
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pound — a weight

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