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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — wild animals
  8. root — of a word
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cold — not warm
  16. root — the cause
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ball — a great time
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. game — a match

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