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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: staff · racket · fine · clip · hand · dip · root · foot

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. hand — help
  11. dip — to sink
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. clip — to cut
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. root — the cause

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