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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a great time
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ball — a dance
  5. swing — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mark — a trace
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. root — of a word

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