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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — a song
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — of a word
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. shower — to wash
  24. racket — a loud noise

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