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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. foot — a measure
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — the fish
  15. track — a path
  16. object — an aim
  17. bass — low music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — to protest

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