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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. swing — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. land — a country
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. foot — a measure
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. cell — a phone
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. cell — in biology
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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