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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. hand — help
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. face — to point toward
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — part of the head
  11. root — of a word
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — the cause
  19. face — to confront
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. scale — in music
  23. hand — in cards
  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