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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. row — a line
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pit — a hole
  9. root — the cause
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — in a race
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bowl — to roll

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