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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. root — of a plant
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a word
  12. race — the arms race
  13. face — to confront
  14. race — humankind
  15. foot — a measure
  16. root — the cause
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. face — part of the head
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ball — a great time
  21. race — a contest
  22. ball — a dance
  23. face — to point toward
  24. foot — the bottom

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