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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rule — government
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rock — music
  9. spring — of water
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rule — a law
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the fish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — of a word

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