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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: nail · root · toast · chest · foot · jam · pitch · wound

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. root — of a plant
  3. toast — bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — the cause
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pitch — a sports field

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