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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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 plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. net — for catching
  7. track — a path
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. root — of a word
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a song

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