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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. root — the cause
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. roll — a list
  24. mouse — the animal

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