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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: foot · root · bear · roll · date · field · spell · racket

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. roll — a list
  6. field — farmland
  7. root — the cause
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — magic
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — letters
  17. bear — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — a short time
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. field — a subject

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