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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rule — a law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — the cause
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ball — a dance
  13. root — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — wild animals
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rule — government
  24. 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