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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — music
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. root — of a word
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a great time

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