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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chest — a box
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chest — of your body

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