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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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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: calf · root · field · pit · hide · rash · foot · ruler

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — a subject
  6. root — of a word
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pit — a hole
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — farmland
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. foot — the bottom

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