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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. track — a path
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — a practice
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a match
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. drill — army training
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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