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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. band — a music group
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a dance
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — a song
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — to keep track
  15. band — a ring
  16. cue — for pool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. root — of a word
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. root — the cause
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cue — a signal

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