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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. kid — to tease
  14. game — a match
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. game — wild animals
  22. root — the cause
  23. kid — child
  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