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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. spell — letters
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — for golf
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. club — a group
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. root — of a word
  19. spell — magic
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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