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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 124 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: roll · foot · toast · deal · swing · root · bat · ruler

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. swing — in golf
  5. deal — to handle
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. roll — a list
  9. swing — to play on
  10. toast — bread
  11. roll — a cake
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. swing — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — an agreement

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