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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ground — a position
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. content — happy
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. root — the cause
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — the amount
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — a gift
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. foot — a measure
  23. dip — to sink
  24. root — of a word

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