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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: kick · ground · perch · root · tube · roll · bat · hand

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hand — in cards
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. bat — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kick — in football
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ground — crushed
  12. roll — a cake
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ground — a position
  19. roll — a list
  20. perch — the fish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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