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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — for sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — of ice
  14. swing — music
  15. root — the cause
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rash — a series
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — of a king

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