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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. root — of a word
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ground — the earth
  13. scale — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ground — a position
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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