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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · season · foot · spring · bear · calf · march · cap

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. march — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. season — of the year
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spring — the season
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. root — the cause
  21. spring — a coil
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cap — of ice
  24. calf — a young animal

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