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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a word
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. deal — to handle
  9. net — in sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — for catching
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — a match
  24. deal — an agreement

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