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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — in music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — of a word
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — a stone
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. root — the cause
  23. foot — a measure
  24. root — of a plant

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