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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitch — completely
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a path
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ball — a dance
  18. staff — employees
  19. root — the cause
  20. staff — a stick
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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