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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. swing — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mark — a grade
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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