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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. root — of a plant
  3. last — to go on
  4. net — in sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fine — high quality
  8. last — final
  9. root — of a word
  10. net — after costs
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ball — a dance
  13. root — the cause
  14. net — for catching
  15. last — finally
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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