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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cap — of ice
  3. roll — a list
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the fish
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rock — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. cold — an illness
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bass — low music
  24. root — of a plant

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