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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. ball — a great time
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — after costs
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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