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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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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: pit · lie · swing · last · root · foot · bear · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. foot — a measure
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. pit — in a race
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — finally
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. last — final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — to recline

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