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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 116 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — for sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. tear — to rip
  9. root — of a word
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bass — low music
  14. spell — letters
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — a company
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — steady
  20. field — farmland
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — magic
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — an aircraft

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