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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. roll — a list
  3. root — of a word
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — after costs
  8. mate — a partner
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. root — the cause
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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