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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · coach · pop · jam · foot · cold · saw · toast

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. root — the cause
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — of a word
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. toast — bread
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pop — music

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