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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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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 · wake · calf · field · mug · pop · root · bass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mug — a face
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pop — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. mug — a cup
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bass — the fish
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pop — soda

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