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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ball — a great time
  3. root — of a word
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — for light
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a dance
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — in sport

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