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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wind — moving air
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ball — a dance
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. squash — the vegetable

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