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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: file · staff · cabinet · foot · firm · rest · root · field

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — a stick
  3. field — a subject
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. root — the cause
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. file — a document
  8. firm — decided
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a line of people
  12. staff — employees
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. firm — steady
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. rest — a break
  24. firm — a company

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