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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 120 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: foot · row · racket · pit · key · bowl · root · lean

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — thin
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. foot — a measure
  16. key — in music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. row — a line
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lean — to rest against

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