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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. root — of a word
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — to fit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — clothes
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ground — the earth
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chair — a professorship

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