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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. object — to protest
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rash — a series
  11. root — of a word
  12. object — a thing
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — in music
  17. root — the cause
  18. shower — rain
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. shower — to wash
  21. track — to keep track
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. track — a song
  24. root — of a plant

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