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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. root — of a word
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a path
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ball — a great time
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — clever
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — of a plant
  22. track — a song
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. track — to keep track

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