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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. root — of a plant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a match
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — the cause
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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