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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: kid · root · charge · cell · foot · ball · nail · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. charge — in control
  9. cell — a phone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. root — of a word
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kid — child
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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