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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. root — the cause
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. ball — a dance
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. swing — music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. drill — army training
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ball — a great time

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