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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: chip · root · foot · bear · stick · mate · can · key

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chip — for betting
  12. foot — a measure
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — to eat
  18. key — the most important part
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — in music
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — to breed

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