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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 · roll · straw · root · sharp · key · field · present

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — of a plant
  3. roll — a list
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. field — farmland
  6. toast — bread
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — in music
  9. field — for sport
  10. root — of a word
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. present — the time now
  14. key — the most important part
  15. present — there
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. sharp — clever
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. roll — a cake
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. present — a gift
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. root — the cause

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