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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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 — a dish
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a great time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a word
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bowl — to roll
  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