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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 116 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. content — the amount
  17. spring — of water
  18. can — a tin
  19. content — happy
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mark — a grade

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