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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. face — to point toward
  7. suit — to fit
  8. root — of a word
  9. suit — clothes
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kid — child
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — the cause
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. face — to confront
  21. ball — a dance
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a great time

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