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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tube — the underground
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — a container
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ball — a dance
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — of a word
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ball — a great time
  18. root — the cause

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