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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pop — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a document
  14. ball — a great time
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. face — part of the head
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pop — soda
  22. row — a line
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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