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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · pop · leaves · foot · swing · drill · bear · root

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — the cause
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. drill — the tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — in golf
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pop — to visit
  15. root — of a word
  16. swing — music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — a practice
  24. foot — part of the 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