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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. game — a match
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — of a word
  12. net — after costs
  13. cell — in biology
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. cell — a phone
  17. present — there
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. calf — a young 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