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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — a line
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. root — of a word
  8. ball — a great time
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. march — music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. root — the cause
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. row — to paddle
  24. toast — bread

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