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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. ball — a dance
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. game — a match

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