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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ball — a great time
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fork — in a road
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a music group
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. row — a line

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