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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — in cards
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — the earth
  6. root — the cause
  7. hand — help
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — a position
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a dance
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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