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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. root — of a plant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. foot — a measure
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. root — the cause
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — low music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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