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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. charge — in control
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. row — a line
  10. band — a music group
  11. game — a match
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wake — a trail
  15. charge — a price
  16. ball — a dance
  17. band — a ring
  18. ball — a great time
  19. row — to paddle
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. root — the cause
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. scale — in music

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