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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. march — music
  6. tube — a container
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — the underground
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a dance
  15. root — of a word
  16. row — a line
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. squash — the sport
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. root — the cause

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