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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: toast · foot · bay · object · root · pitcher · track · lean

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. root — the cause
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. object — to protest
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lean — thin
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — to bend

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