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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bass — the fish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bass — low music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. drill — army training
  24. foot — part of the body

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