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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. net — in sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — for catching
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. root — of a word
  18. scale — in music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a great time
  24. plane — in geometry

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