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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. roll — a cake
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. roll — a list
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. root — of a word
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. race — a contest
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — humankind
  21. saw — the tool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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