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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. root — of a word
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — a group
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fine — all right
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — a break
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. root — the cause
  24. file — a tool

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