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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. band — a music group
  5. ball — a great time
  6. root — the cause
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — to be able to
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. ball — a dance
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — of a word
  20. scale — in music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — the sport

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