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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ball — a dance
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. race — a contest
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. root — of a word
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. race — humankind
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a ring
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. root — the cause

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