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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. root — of a word
  3. ground — crushed
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ground — a position
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ground — the earth
  14. foot — a measure
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. row — a quarrel

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