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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. racket — for tennis

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