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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. roll — a list
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. root — of a plant
  11. firm — a company
  12. root — the cause
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — of a word
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bank — of a river

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