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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — a trace
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. root — the cause
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. march — music
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fork — in a road
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fork — a garden tool

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