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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.

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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. land — a country
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a path
  17. bear — the animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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