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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — of ice
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. root — of a word
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cap — a lid

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