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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bass — the fish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. foot — a measure
  14. root — the cause
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. net — in sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — low music
  24. deal — to handle

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