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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — the cause
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. root — of a word
  9. firm — steady
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — in music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cell — in biology
  24. foot — the bottom

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