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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. root — of a word
  7. pop — soda
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mark — a grade
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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